Candies
by autumneuphoria
Summary: The Crown Prince is caught eating candies before a meal and is left to face punishment from his father and uncle.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters.**

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The little boy squirms in the too-large plush chair, his shoulders slumped.

Two of the Four Nations' most powerful and respected leaders sit across him, scrutinizing, assessing, staring. They've been doing that for so long, he thinks they're trying to melt him with their eyes.

"Say, Zuko, buddy, don't you think Zeek here ought to be punished?" the Southern Water Tribe Chief decalres in an exceptionally loud voice, sea-blue orbs meeting the six-year old's azure ones, which immediately widen at the words.

"I don't know, pal. It depends on the degree of the crime." the Fire Lord observes Zeek, a smirk tugging at his lips.

The boy swallows.

Zeek had been caught by his nanny earlier that afternoon sneaking sweets from the jar Chef left on the kitchen counter especially for him before lunch and his family hadn't been too happy about that.

A rule's a rule-no sweets before meals, especially if you're a six-year old.

"He has committed _quite_ a crime," Sokka muses, fingers tapping lazily on the arm chair.

"Has he now?" Zuko raises a brow, and his son whimpers.

"Perhaps we should cut off his supply of candies completely?" his uncle's suggestions sends the child into a devastating state.

"No, Daddy, _please_ no!"

Zuko's raised brow arches further up in a race to reach his hairline as the Crown Prince runs toward him and clings to his leg.

"I love my candies; please don't take them away!"

Ah, child's love. Each one goes through the stage of safely declaring their unending love for the sweets.

Sokka sighs exaggeratedly. "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it? Then when you take over your daddy's throne-"

Zuko scowls at his best friend.

"-you'll have candies as your Fire Lady!"

Zeek's eyes widen. "Oh, I would, Unca Sokka, I would! But Grandpaparoh said that I should wait for a girl like Momma to walk into my life before I get married like Daddy! Only a girl like Momma would be worthy enough to be Fire Lady."

Iroh and his wise words were rubbing off on the Crown Prince, so it seems. Since when did his nephew develop such deep explanations in his relatively juvenile life?

"What else did your grandfather tell you, kid?" Sokka asks, leaning down to Zeek's height and gave his most interrogating Wang Fire expression, minus the mustache and the voice though.

Zeek scrambles up his father's leg and seeks refuge in the Fire Lord's chest from his as-of-the-moment terrifying uncle.

"Stop scaring my son, Sokka." Zuko wraps an arm around the boy.

Sokka rolls his eyes. "Cheer up, Fire Lord Gloomy, I'm just trying to truthbend the kid."

Zuko shakes his head, laughing softly. "Go on then, Zeek, what else did your Grandpa Iroh tell you?"

"That Momma and you have the best love story ever and I should wait for my own."

"And did he tell you to marry candy at any point in time?" Sokka asks.

The tan-skinned boy gulps. "No..."

"Then it's settled! Your love for candy is invalid and it can never be your Fire Lady!" the Water Tribe Chief declares.

The parlor doors suddenly fling open and Katara walks in.

"Oh, stop giving him a hard time, Sokka," she reprimands her brother, walking over to the couch.

She presses a kiss on Zuko's jaw and collects their son from him.

"No one is cutting off your candy supply, okay, kiddo?"

Zeek smiles brightly.

"But you will never marry it, understand?"

The boy nods vigorously. "I'll marry a girl like Momma so I'll be happy like Daddy."

Sokka sniggers. "Smart kid."

"Now c'mon, I'll let you have some candy." Katara begins to tread out of the parlor.

"You're spoiling him, Tara." Zuko accusses.

Katara rolls her eyes. "You spoil Kaede and she's only _three_."

Zuko flushes and Sokka guffaws. "Burn!"

"For that, I'm giving our son one more piece of candy." Katara smirks as Zuko sighs concedingly.

"I told you Momma's the best Fire Lady, Unca Sokka!" Zeek cheers as his mother closes the doors behind her.

Zuko bursts out laughing and points at his best friend. "In your face!"

Sokka scowls. "Shut up."

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01/22/13


End file.
